Steering-gear mechanism.



P. B. WOHLRAB.

STEERING GEAR MECHANISM.

PLICATION FILED MAR.6.1917- 1L 1&8 Patented J uly 3, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET i.

" "53 r" Z Mow my P. B. WOHLRAB.

STEERING GEAR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, Ian.

7h 1 9 1 Qu y 1 H J 0 H m a P 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

PAUL B. WOHLRAB, 0F RACINE, WISCONSIN.

STEERING-GEAR MECHANISM.

resents.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed. March 6, 1917. Serial No. 152,566.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, PAUL B. \VOHLRAB, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering-Gear Mechanisms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription thereof.

My present invention relates to new and useful improvements insteering post transmission mechanisms for automobiles and other vehicles.

In that type of transmission mechanism in which a pair of sliding blocks operated by a rotatable steering post actuate a rock shaft to move the steering rod, it has been found that because of the formation of the housing surrounding the blocks and the adjacent end of the steering post, it is impossible to properly lubricate or repair the parts therein without dismantling the entire mechanism. This result is caused by the tendency of automobile manufacturers to make the front ends of their machines as narrow as possible. Therefore since the cas ing of this type of steering mechanism must be placed between the engine and one of the side bars of the vehicle frame, it has been found that it is disadvantageous to use ordinary constructed housings because of their inaccessibility.

A further disadvantage of this type of transmission mechanism when used on modern motor vehicles lies in the fact that it is impossible to remove the steering post with out disengaging the housing from its osi tion between the engine and one of the bars of the frame. This is because the housing is usually separable longitudinally of the steering post, the line of contact between the two parts being vertical.

In endeavoring to overcome these difficulties my invention has been devised, the principal point in view being to construct a housing from which the sliding blocks and other parts may be readily removed without disengaging said housing from its position upon the vehicle frame. This has been accomplished by providing a housing with removable top and bottom cover plates. Provision has also been made for readily inserting a rock shaft and the end of the steering post when said sliding blocks have been removed.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and. claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents'a side elevation of a steering post having my improved mechanism applied to the lower end thereof.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the housing or casing in which the movable parts of the device are disposed, said section being taken on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the cover plates.

Fig. i is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line ii of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form.

Referring more particularly to the several figures of the drawings, wherein similarreference characters indicate like parts, the numeral 1 denotes a steering post surrounded by the usual casing and having a steering wheel 2 at its upper end while its lower end is inclosed in a substantially rectangular housing or casing 3. This housing 3 is formed of side plates 4 and 5, ends 6 and 7, and top and bottom cover plates 8, the latter being removable so that access may be obtained to the interior of the housing.

That portion of the steering post which is disposed within the housing 3 is provided with right and lefthand screw threads 9 which are adapted to mesh with screw threads formed in the longitudinal channels 10 of thread blocks 11, the latter being disposed within the casing 8 and being substantially rectangular in cross-section, From Fig. 2 it will be noted that the screw threads in the channels of the blocks extend for only a portion of their length, and that the threads of one block engage the righthand threads of the post, while the threads of the other block engage the left-hand threads thereof. In consequence of this arrangement the rotation of the post '1 will cause said blocks to slide longitudinally and in opposite directions, the length of the housing 3 with respect to theblocks being sufficient to allow a suitable play.

Any preferred means may be employed for holding the casing 3 in a stationary po-' sition between the engine of the vehicle on which it is mounted and one side portion of the frame thereof. The lower end of the steering post is rotatably mounted in the housing or casing 3 has been secured in place. 7

' The longitudinal sliding movement of the blocks 11 is utilized to operate a rock shaft 15 which is journaled in a bearing'16 carried by the side plate 5 of the housing, the outer end of said shaft having a reduced polygonal head 17 which is adapted to be disposed in the poly-sided opening in the end of a depending arm 18 which is connected by a ball and socket joint with a steering rod 19. This rod is in turn con nected withthe other usual parts of an automobile steering mechanism.

The inner end of the rock shaft 15 carries oppositely extending arms 20 from which project the cylindrical studs 21 for disposition in bearing blocks 22, the latter being positioned in vertical slots 23, one of which is formed in each of the thread blocks 11. The bearingblocks 22 are substantially rectangular and the slots 23 in which they are disposed are approximately the same width- It is obvious that whenthe steering wheel 2 is now rotated, the rotary movement will be transmitted to the blocks 11 and in turn to the rock shaft 15 which will cause the steering rod to'be moved in the proper direction to actuate the front wheels of a vehicle. i

In addition to permitting the steering post to be readily inserted into the housing 3, the same is also constructed to allow the rock shaft 15 with its arms 20 to be placed in its bearing 16hr removed therefrom. In carrying this out. the outerwall 4 of the housing is provided with a substantially elliptical shaped opening 2% normally closed by a cover plate 25 held in position by the fastening elements 26. This opening 2% is of such size that the rock shaft may be readily inserted 'therethrough and into the interior of the casing'before the steering post and the blocks 11 have been placed therein, thus all of the movable parts of the device may be assembled after the stationary casing has been mounted upon the frame of the vehicle. i I

The cover plates 8 which close the open top'and bottom of the casing are heldin position by the lag screws 27, the shanks of the same extending through apertures 28 in the plate 8 and into sockets formed in bosses 29 formed integrally with the inner faces of the inner and outer sides 4 and 5 respectively ofv the casing. Four of these bosses are formed adjacent each open side of the housing and'rathe'r close to the opposite ends thereof. Because of the fact that the blocks 11 are continuously sliding within the housing, it is advisable to provide strips 80 of bearing metal to face the outer sides of the blocks where they would engage the cover plate 8. It is also necessary to provide bearing surfaces for the opposite sides of these blocks, and in the present instance these are formed by two pairs of guide plates .31,- one pairextending from the in ner surface of eachcover plate. These guide plates are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the width of the blocks 11 and are normally engaged thereby, the interniediate portions of the plates being provided with semi circular recesses 32 which coincide with the opening 2& in the wall a ofthe housing to readily allow the arms 20 of the rock shaft '15 to operate. The outer faces of the-plates 31 are also provided with transverse. grooves 83 with which the inner surfaces ofthe bosses 29 engage.-

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the cOver-pla'tesS not only serve to close the open top and bottom of the housing to retain the blocks 11 therein, but also carry the necessary bearing surfaces toactas guides in the movement of said blocks.

The distance between the engine'and the side bars of the frame of some motor vehicles' is so slight that a housing such as heretofore described cannot be placed therein, therefore I have devised that form of casing shown in Fig. 5 which it will be noted is considerably narrower than the other.

The same general method of operating the several parts is carried out in thismodified form, the rotation of the steering post 1' causing the thread blocks 11 to slid-e in opposite directions to rotate a rock shaft 15 fixed thereto in any preferred manner. The blocks 11 are connected to the post- 1 as in the other casing, here, however, the'outer faces of the blocks 11 engage the inner surfaces of the side walls a and 5 of the housing to guide the same during their sliding movement. The top and bottom of the easing is open to permit the ready removal of the blocks 11', the same being normally held therein by the cover plates 8.' External bosses 29 are formed in the outer surfaces of the walls "of the casing and are adapted to receive lag screws 27 which extend through openings in the cover plates. In this case it I is seen that the side walls'of the casing correspond to the guide plates 31 of the first described form; I r 1 It is believed that a steering gear transmission mechanism constructed as set forth in the foregoing descriptionand shown in any of the figures of the drawings will be much more eliicient and practical than any similar mechanism now in use. venience of operation and the accessibility of the various parts is obvious.

What is claimed z:-

1. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a shaft, a connection between said steering post and shaft to rotate the latter in either direction, a casing surrounding said connection and the adjacent portions of the post, the top and bottom of said casing being open, said connection being removable from the casing through said open top and bottom, cover plates for closing said open top and bottom and means for securing said plates to the casing.

2. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a shaft, a connection between said steering post and shaft to rotate the latter in either direction, a casing surround- .ing said connection and the adj acent portion of the post, said connection being removable from the casing through said top and bottom, said casing also having alined openings in the opposite side walls to permit said shaft to be inserted therethrough, cover plates for closing the open top and bottom and means for securing said plates to the casing.

3. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said post a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, the top and bottom of said casing being open, said blocks being removable through said open top and bottom, cover plates for closing said open top and bottom, and means for securing said plates to the casing.

4-. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a rock shaft connected to said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, the top and bottom of the casing being open, said :bloeks being removable through said open top and bottom, said casing also having alined openings in the side walls to permit said rock shaft to be inserted therethrough, cover plates for closing said open top and bottom and means for securing said plates to the casing.

5. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, and bearing surfaces to act as guides and to be slidably engaged by the opposite sides of said pair of blocks.

6. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on The consaid post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a casing sur rounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, the opposite sides of said blocks slidably engaging portions of said casing to be guided thereby,

7. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, and guide plates car" ried by the casing to be slidably engaged by the opposite sides of the blocks.

8. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, certain sides of said casing being open to permit the removal of said blocks, cover plates for said open sides, guide plates carried by the cover plates to he slidably engaged by the opposite sides of the blocks.

9. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, certain sides of the said casing being open to permit the removal of said blocks, cover plates for said open sides, a pair of spaced guide plates carried by each of said cover plates to be slidably engaged by the opposite sides of the blocks.

10. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said posts, a separate connection between said posts and each of said blocks, a rock shaft connected to said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, the top and bottom of the casing being open, said blocks being removable through said open top and bottom, said casing also having alined openings in the opposite side walls to permit said rock shaft to be inserted therethrough, cover plates for the top and bottom, and a pair of spaced guide plates carried by each of said cover plates to be slidably engaged by the opposite sides of the blocks, said guide plates being provided with semicircular recesses inter mediate of their ends to coincide with the openings in the opposite side walls of the casing.

11. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable on said post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a casing surrounding said blocks and the adjacent portion of the post, certain of the sides of the casing being open, cover plates for the open sides of the casing, a boss adjacent each of the open sides of the casing, guide plates carried by said cover plates to be slidably engaged by the opposite sides of the blocks, said guide plates being transversely grooved to receive said bosses, and fastening elements connecting the cover plates and bosses.

12. A steering gear mechanism including a steering post, a pair of blocks slidable in the post, a separate connection between said post and each of said blocks, a bearing sleeve formed on the post at a point spaced inwardly from said connections and of a diameter substantially equal thereto a stationary casing surrounding said blocks and the adj acent portion of the post, the opposite sides 15 thereof being open, bearings in the opposite ends of the casing the sleeve on said post being journaled in one of said bearings, the end of the postwbeing removable from the casing through the last mentioned bearing, and cover plates for the open sides of the casing. I Y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my h and at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of lVisconsin, in the presence of two Witnesses.

PAUL B. lVOHLRAB.

lVitnesses:

' CHRISTIAN JoHNsoN,

' C. B. LANGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

